HERSHEY, Pa. (WHTM) -
Dozens of foreign students who claim they are being exploited at a packing plant owned by The Hershey Company teamed up with labor leaders for a sit-in Wednesday.
The 18- and 19-year-old students said they paid between $3,000 and 6,000 each to come to the United States as part of a cultural exchange program administered by the U.S. Department of State. But instead of learning about American culture, they said they've been working at the Eastern Distribution Center in Derry Township.
"Their cultural exchange consisted of them working within the four walls of the factory, consisted of living in company housing, watching their paychecks reduced to barely $100 a week after deductions," said Saket Soni, Executive Director of the National Guestworker Alliance. "In essence, they became captive workers."
The protestors said Hershey should be forced to give the 400 jobs to American workers at the union pay rate, rather than pass it off as an exchange program to save money.
An official for the The Hershey Company said the packing plant is run by another company, Exel, and like all vendors is expected to treat workers fairly.
Derry Township police said they arrested three people who were among the 150-200 protestors on charges of obstruction of roads and trespass. Police said the protestors were interfering with daily work operations and The Hershey Company had requested they be removed.
About 60 police officers and state troopers from Dauphin and Lebanon responded to the protest.
Another protest was staged at The Hershey Story, but an official said the museum has nothing to do with the distribution center or the cultural exchange program.
